General Intelligence.

Clutha Leader, Volume IV, Issue 162, 17 August 1877, Page 6

General Intelligence.

An illustrated Punch is about to 1)6 started in Launceston, Tasmania. A boy, named John Owens, lately died in Melbourne, from the effects of chewing 1 tobacco. In a sewing machine shop-, Christchurch, a couple of machines placed in the window are driven by a small gas engine. In Melbourne, a child named Westley, was killed by four drops of chlorodyne, administered by its mother, to prevent it crying 1 . In Auckland, a butcher's wife, named Tucker, got her hair caught in a, sausage machine, and before she was extricated her forehead was frightfully, bruised and a good deal of her hdr torn out.

The (Jhristchurch papers refer to the intense annoyance by petty thieving from reading* rooms. Pipes, walking sticks, &c. t mysteriously disappear) while magazines, &c, are 'borrowed but not returned.

The expenditure upon railways in Victoria up to the end of 1870 was ns follows : — Construction, LI 3,239,404 j maintenance, L 957,66 2; total amount, L14,l 97,067. The public debt is noitf nearly seventeen millions. In Victoria, it is proposed to transfer the country post-offices now in charge of persons carrying on business on their own account, to the teachers of State schools, or other persons* employed exclusively Vy the Government.

The population of the Palmer, in Northern Queensland, consists of 1400 Europeans, and 17000 Chinese, scattered over an area of 2000 square miles; total, 18,400. The population of the Hodgkinsou consists 0f 4500 Europeans, and 800 Chinese ; total, 4800 f In Victoria, the Minister of Lands has intimated his sympathy with the suggestion that the Government should advance money to selectors for the I cultivation of their farms. A motion 1 has been proposed in the Assembly that the Government should provide a i fund for the above purpose. The Bank of New South Wales at Kuraara was stuck, up at 4 o'clock on Thursday morning iast week. Mr Hogg and Mr Brown were sleeping in the bank at the time. Mr Hogg heard a noise and saw a man going out of the bank door and fired a revolver at him, but the man escaped, although he dropped most of the booty, between LSfiOO and L 4,000, mostly gold dust. IJlood was found on the gold bag 1 . About L4OO in notes are missing. The burglar must have secreted himself in the bank during the evening, when the bank is open for gold- buying. Hd had been under the bed, and got the keys from the agent's clothes during the night to open the safe. lie would have got away with the booty but fot Ifog-g's bullet*